-Fifteen-

He's been sitting there, across the room, for the past hour and a half, fidgeting and trying to study. He's not getting much done and a few librarians have had to come by his table and ask him to quiet down. Almost every single time he would look up at me, we would lock eyes and then he would quickly look away like he's embarrassed. I don't know if he's embarrassed to know that someone's been watching him or if it's the fact that he's been shushed so many times, but it's cute.

I'd look away but, the fact of the matter is, I don't want to. His face is slightly angular and holds a soft attractiveness. His mannerisms are different from anyone I've ever seen before. I've been around people who are prone to fidgeting, but this is a whole new level. Both of his legs are bouncing, he's tapping his pencil on the book he's trying to read and he keeps flexing and relaxing the muscles in his shoulders. It's like sitting down doesn't agree with him at all and his entire body is protesting being sat in a chair for so long. He's got his face all scrunched up in concentration and his hair is a little messy due to the amount of times he's run his hand through it. Everything about him is just interesting.

He's getting shushed for the fourth time as Right Hand Man is fading into A Winter's Ball. He looks up at me, eyes wide, and I cover my mouth to muffle the giggle that slips past my lips. He immediately flushes and drops his gaze back to his book, tangling his fingers into his hair and I decide the lyrics of the song don't fit him at all.

After a few moments of actual peace and quiet a sizeable explosion can be heard from outside and the entire library seems to shake, the windows rattling loudly. I pull my earbuds from my ears and look around the building, concerned for my fellow patrons, before looking back to the boy whom I had been staring at for nearly two hours, but he's gone. It's like he vanished in the ten seconds it took for me to look around.

A round of shouting outside prompts me to head to one of the windows to see what's going on.

There's a massive crowd gathered around a small crater in the middle of the street. There are about four cars turned on their sides from, what I would guess was, the force from the blast I'd heard previously. I don't see anything that could have caused the explosion until I look up. Above the rooftops a glider circles the small patch of New York as if it's looking for something, possibly someone.

There's a blur of blue and red past the window and the glider practically dives after it. As it gets closer I find that it's the Green Goblin. He must have modified the explosives he usually uses to be more powerful to draw attention to what he's doing. He must really want someone's attention.

The blue and red blur slows and finally solidifies enough for me to make out who it is. It's Spiderman. That's who the goblin was trying to draw out and that's who he's dive bombing right this second.

I watch in awe as he manages to dodge and sling back every single attack the Goblin threw at him. He's incredible and I can't seem to tear my eyes away from him. That is, until he lands on the outside wall of the building and the Green Goblin follows suit. I slowly back away from the window as the Goblin produces a bomb from his belt. As soon as Spiderman launches himself away from the wall I break out into a sprint away from where I was standing.

The blast propels me forward, knocking me to the floor. The force of the second explosion sends shelves toppling and books flying everywhere. I'm buried under a massive pile of books, but I can still see the fight. Spiderman continues to dance around the Goblin, flinging the occasional bookcase at him and webbing him up as much as possible when he has the chance.

Eventually he goes down, knocked out and webbed to the neck. Spiderman walks away from the scene triumphantly and I heave a sigh of relief. He disappears from my line of sight but, about two minutes later, I hear the pounding of feet headed in my direction.

Someone starts shifting the massive piles of books that's covering me. When it's gone I can finally take a full, deep breath again. I roll over onto my back to find the boy I had been looking at kneeling next to me. A look of relief flashes across his face when our eyes meet.

"You're okay." I say sitting up from the pile, books shifting as I move.

"Yeah, I am, I guess. Why?" He asks, lifting an eyebrow slightly.

"After the explosion you disappeared for a bit. I got a little worried."

"O-oh," I watch as his face flushes and he looks away in an attempt to hide it. "Yeah, I, uh, I had to go use the, uh, the bathroom." He pats his legs absentmindedly, nodding his head, seemingly pleased with his answer. "That is definitely where I was."

"Okay," I laugh at his response. "I'm (Y/N), by the way." I extend my hand to him. "I figure I should introduce myself after staring at you for so long."

"Sounds appropriate." He chuckles in response and shakes my hand. "I'm Peter. Peter Parker."

"It's nice to meet you, Peter."

–

I see a familiar face in the crowd. I can't quite remember where I've seen them before, so I hang back at a newspaper stand so I can figure out who they are. They've got their head down, probably looking at a phone, but somehow they manage to avoid every single person in their path. When he finally looks up I finally recognize him and he grins at me.

"Peter!" I call, waving to him. He waves back and quickens his pace.

"It's good to see you, (Y/N)." He greets me with a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around my shoulders.

"It's good to see you too!" I hug him back and relish the embrace. He smells like a campfire, lavender and pencil shavings, but in the best possible way.

"How have you been?" He asks, pulling away from me and holding my shoulders.

"I've been good! How are you?"

"I've been pretty okay. School's been a little crazy, but nothing I can't handle." He nods, satisfied with his answer.

"Well, that's good." I laugh. "Where were you headed?"

"I was gonna try my luck at the library, but it's still closed for construction, so I decided to just walk in the other direction until I found something interesting."

"Oh! I had no idea the library was still closed. Dang..."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, would you maybe want to hang out at my place? I don't live too far away..."

"That actually sounds awesome."

"Really? Cool, okay, well I just live about five blocks that wa-" My voice is drowned out by a loud chorus of shouting. Peter seems to be frozen in place as he looks around the block. "What is it?"

"Something's coming." He finally looks back to me. "I think you should head back home. It could get dangerous."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry." With his hands on my shoulders he turns my body around. "I just need you to be safe."

"O-okay." I grab his hand and scribble my phone number onto the back of it. "After whatever's happening is over, you call me and you let me know you're safe, okay?"

"Deal, now go."

I quickly jog back to my apartment and park myself on the couch, phone in hand, to wait for his call. I wait for about half an hour before I get bored and try to distract myself by listening to Hamilton again. I pick up right where I left off at the end of A Winter's Ball and Helpless immediately begins to play.

Leaning back into the sea of throw pillows I close my eyes and finally relax for a moment.

My phone vibrates and I immediately answer it. I rise from my seat, pulling my earbud from my ear and replacing it with the speaker of my phone.

"Hello?" I ask, my voice shaking ever so slightly. I pace the room hoping waiting for the response.

"(Y/N)?"

"Peter? Is that you?" I hear a quiet sigh on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry." I sigh in relief and flop down onto the couch. "You went back to your place, right? You're safe?"

"I'm good, yeah."

"Thank goodness." He sighs, relief evident in his voice.

"Y'know, the offer to come over still stands."

"Does it now?" He sounds like he's smiling.

"Yeah, I mean, if you wanna swing by we could watch a movie or something." I shrug. "I dunno, it's all up to you now, Parker."

I hear him laugh on his end. "Earlier, you said you lived a few blocks away?"

"I did yeah. If you just stay on that same sidewalk and keep walking straight you could be here in, probably, five minutes?"

"Sounds like an interesting proposition, (Y/N)." He says. "Guess I'll be there I feel five minutes."

"I'll wait for you on the stoop!"

-Seventeen-

That afternoon turned into dozens of afternoons in the weeks to come. As we got to know each other better time seemed to fly faster. Before we knew it, two years had come and gone during our friendship.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Peter was handsome. He's grown taller and his face has become more trim. He's grown into the angles he had when I first saw him. His eyes are bright most of the time, like he's finally found his passion. Most of the time I worry that he's met someone at his high school and left me for people who are closer to him. The most reassuring thing is when I see him ambling up my street and bounding up the stoop to the front door of my apartment building.

Today Peter convinced me to watch a quiet Ghibli movie, Whisper of the Heart, and as soon as the movie started he stretched himself out across the couch and rested his head in my lap. Absentmindedly, I started to comb my fingers through his hair and he was soon asleep.

I tried to make it through the movie, but it's been a long week at school and I just can't keep my eyes open.

–

Peter wakes up, groggy from his short nap. The unfamiliar strain of fingers in his hair reminds him of where he is. He doesn't know when he fell asleep, but he's glad he did. Something about being one of the few people to know what (Y/N) looks like when she's asleep warms his heart. In the most appropriate and platonic way, of course.

He always feels most comfortable around (Y/N). Something about the way she accepted him so readily that first day caused him to feel drawn to her. She's always been very understanding of his schedule and how it changes unexpectedly. She's never once questioned him having to cancel a get together and he's thankful for that.

Peter hates feeling like he has to keep Spiderman a secret from her. Knowing (Y/N), she'd probably accept him in a heartbeat and their relationship would be stronger for it. The only thing keeping him from telling her is his worry for her own safety. He worries that if she knew who he was, she would be in danger, and he couldn't live with himself if that were to happen.

Gently, he removes (Y/N)'s hands from his hair and rises from his entirely too comfortable spot on the couch. He doesn't want to leave quite yet. He really, really doesn't. Instead, he picks (Y/N) up and lays her down on the sofa before joining her again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to his chest. Unconsciously, she snuggles into his chest and sighs quietly. He smiles happily to himself before drifting off to sleep.

-Nineteen-

"What's got you so antsy, Pete?" I ask, gently taking Peter's left hand in my right and lacing our fingers.

"Hmm?" He hums absentmindedly, turning his head to look at me. For some reason he never runs into anyone, regardless of whether or not he's watching where he's walking. "I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else, did you say something?"

"You've been jumpy all day." I furrow my brow. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No-yes, it's just..." He trails off, lifting his right hand to his mouth and biting at his thumbnail. "I don't know how you'll react."

"We've been dating for nearly two years. I don't think there's much you could tell me that surprises me at this point."

"Are you sure?" He asks, stopping us in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Why are you so worried about this?" I run my thumb over his knuckles. "Are you cheating on me or something?"

"What?! No! Of course not, (Y/N), you know I would never do that."

"Then just tell me what's going on." I huff. "If it's got you this worked up, then it has to be something important."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it slowly. Once he's calmed himself enough he pulls me across the street and into the alleyway next to a corner store with a flickering 'open' sign. When Peter determines that we're far enough away from the public to actually talk to me he releases my hand and turns away from me, running his hands through his hair.

I open my mouth to speak but, before any sound can come out, I find my mouth covered with a weird, sticky webbing and my sound of horror is muffled by it. When I look at Peter he's looking at me apprehensively. My eyebrows lower, unimpressed by his little show.

"I fmphinph nephit." My words come out in a muffled mumble.

"What?" He asks. I roll my eyes in annoyance and point to my mouth. "Oh, right, sorry." He manages to rip the webbing away without leaving any strings behind. "You were saying?"

"I said, I fucking knew it."

"Wait, you knew?!"

"Yeah, you're terrible at hiding your costume." I have to suppress a laugh. "I mean really, you bring that backpack on every date we've ever gone on and you constantly wear shirts that are a little too small for you so when you stretch your arms over your head, I can see the red and blue part on your little tummy there." I poke him in the stomach to prove my point.

"Okay, you've made your point." He grabs my wrists and pulls me to his chest before moving his hands to my waist.

"Have I?" I place my hands on his chest and quirk an eyebrow at him.

"Yes," His grip on my waist tightens. "Are you mad?"

"No. I know you had your reasons."

He gently pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "Thank you for understanding."

"It's in the girlfirend job description, Pete." I feel a laugh rumble through his chest.

"Is it really?"

"Yup, must be understanding. It's right under; incredibly generous and fantastic hugger."

-Twenty Two-

"Where are you, Peter? You were supposed to meet me at my apartment fifteen minutes ago."

"Sorry, there was a bank robbery and I got held up. I promise I'm on my right now."

"You better be." I grumble.

"You want me to pick you up?"

"What?"

"I could swing by and grab you if you wait for me on the stoop."

"Wait, you mean actually swing by and grab me, don't you."

"What else would I mean?"

I sigh and shake my head. "I honestly don't know."

"So, do you want me to pick you up, or just meet you on the stoop like a normal boring person?" His tone is light and joking. I don't answer straight away, not entirely sure about what to do. "I'm two blocks away, so I kind of need an answer."

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Of course it is." He says, sounding entirely confident. "I wouldn't have suggested it if it weren't."

I sigh and stomp down the stairs, out the front door of the apartment building and out onto the stoop. "You better not drop me, Parker."

I hear him chuckle before the line goes dead. I tuck my phone away in my purse and wait for him to "swing by" as he promised he would. It's not long before I hear a loud whooping and am quickly scooped up by the love of my life.

He holds me tight to him, his hand fastened securely around my waist. Just to ensure my safety, I wrap my arms around his neck before burying my face in his chest to avoid watching the blur of buildings and lights around us.

After a short time, we're standing on solid ground again. Regardless, I refuse to open my eyes.

Peter laughs and takes my hands in his. "You can open your eyes now, (Y/N), it's okay."

"Nope, I refuse."

"Okay," I feel his arms move in what I'm guessing is a shrug. "But you're going to miss out on the view."

"What?" I ask, cracking open one eye. I see a soft blurry glow surrounding Peter and I can't help myself opening both eyes. Behind Peter has to be the largest amount of candles I've ever seen in my life. Peter has his mask off and is looking at me expectantly. "Peter, what is this?"

"How long have we known each other?" He asks.

"Seven years." I answer quietly.

"And how many of those years have I loved you?"

"Peter..."

"How many?"

"I don't know." I shake my head.

"All of them," He squeezes my hands. "I have loved you all seven of them." He sighs quietly and lets go of one of my hands before getting down on one knee. "I want to love you for as many years as I possibly can, so,"

"Peter, oh my gosh, what are you doing?"

"(Y/F/N)(Y/L/N), will you marry me?" He asks, producing a simple ring from the collar of his suit.

I cover my mouth with my free hand, tears welling up in my eyes. "Yes," I nod. "Yes, of course I will."

He grins and slips the ring onto my finger before quickly standing up and hugging me, picking me up and twirling me around in the process. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"Ditto, spider-dork." I laugh and press a kiss to his cheek.

A flash goes off and both Peter and I look around, confused.

"Oh yeah, that's going in the scrapbook." A slightly electronic voice sounds to my right and Peter's left.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter and I ask at the same time.

"What, you expected me to sit at home and wait for you to visit with the news after you told me you were proposing to your sweetheart? Sorry, kid, that's not how I work."

I roll my eyes and kiss Peter on the cheek one more time. "You're lucky he's cute, Mr. Stark, otherwise I wouldn't put up with this nonsense."